How to get google verified

How to get verified on Google Knowledge Panel

Want to be verified on Google Knowledge Panel and take control of the information that appears there? Getting verified on the search knowledge graph panel is crucial for an authoritative online presence.

Google is undoubtedly the leading place where people search for you, your brand, or your business and getting accurate details displayed in the knowledge panel can be extremely valuable.

Google is letting brands verify their presence and importantly take control of the information that is displayed about them on the Google Knowledge Panel.

The verification process allows brands and organisations that have a presence on the Google Knowledge panel to claim and provide authoritative feedback on the information and images presented about them.

Just so that it is clear if you are a local business, you can take control of the information displayed in the Google knowledge panel by claiming your business through the Google My Business tool. This verification is mostly for brands and public figures that are distinct from the local businesses.

Google mostly displays information about them from different sources such as Wikipedia. The official documentation of Google suggests that the process is mostly for a person, organization, or other known entity looking to get verified on Google.

Although Google has significantly improved the information displayed in the knowledge panel, it can be useful to have control over the official information about your brand.

I recently verified Google Knowledge Panel information for one of the brands, and in this article, I will walk you through the steps involved in the process. I hope the screenshots are useful to you along the way.

Table of Contents

Steps to get Verified on Google Knowledge Panel

Step 1: Search for your brand on Google and check for the knowledge panel information on your left sidebar of the Google SERP.

Step 2: Below the information about your brand, you should see a link with a question – do you manage the online presence for…? (See the screenshot below).

Step 3: Once you click on the link, it should take you to the Get Verified pages of Google. Click on Get Verified.

You will need to be logged in with a Google account. The account that you are logged in with will be used for verification and to manage the verified presence on Google.

Step 4: You will need to confirm whether you are the entity that wants to get verified on Google or represent the entity, person or organisation that wants to be verified.

Select the appropriate option, and additional form fields will appear on the page. If you select that you represent the entity that you are looking to verify, you will be asked to confirm if you officially represent the entity.

Officially representing the entity means that you are responsible for the online presence management, including posting on social media and other online platforms. You might need to submit documentary evidence of the entity explicitly mentioning the delegation of the online presence to you.

Step 5: Once you select the relevant option, you will be presented with additional form fields asking you to submit details of your online presence.

Step 6: Provide your Name and legal Name of the entity that you want to verify on Google.

Step 7: Find and provide a link to your knowledge panel on Google Search.

When you search for the name of the entity on Google, you should see a share icon beside the name in the knowledge panel. Click on the Share icon and copy-paste the link provided in the dialog box. Select country and language settings for the Google search results.

Step 8: Another major section now requires you to prove you can log in to your 2 to 5 of your different official sites/profiles.

You will need to submit screenshots of your logged in online profiles and websites. These profiles should appear on the same Search results page as your knowledge panel on Google Search. You need to provide the URL of the official site or profile and attach a screenshot showing you have admin rights to the profile or site.

Step 9: You will also need to submit a self-portrait photograph (“selfie”) of yourself holding government-approved photo identification.

Make sure the photo is high quality and that your entire face and photo identification must be in focus. All text on the identification document should be legible.

Step 10: Finally, you need to mention why you think the entity should be verified and submit the form.

You should see a success message thanking you for submitting the form. Google will now review your application and get back to you.

Google Verification for Popular Brands

For popular brands and well-known people, Google might let you verify just by asking you to login into one of your official social media profiles.

Instead of you having to fill in the form, you can simply login into one of four sites “to verify that you’re an authorized representative of an entity on Google”. YouTube, Google+, Search Console, and Twitter are provided as options if you see this while trying to verify your entity.

See the screenshot below showing the verification process for one of the popular brands.

Changing Information in Google Knowledge Panel

Getting verified in Google will allow you to control certain elements and information presented in the Google Knowledge panel. Google has, however, limited the editing to suggest official information and suggesting a featured image.

Other information such as Wikipedia snippets and images except the featured image cannot be changed even after getting verified.

Changes You Can Suggest in Google Knowledge Panel

Google allows you to suggest changes to certain content in the knowledge panel including,

Changes You Cannot Suggest in Google Knowledge Panel

Google has listed that the following parts of the knowledge panel cannot be changed;

Besides, you won’t be able to re-order or hide any content if it’s accurate and publicly known information.

Suggesting Featured Image for Verified Google Knowledge Panel

The featured image takes a prominent place in the Google Knowledge panel, and so this might be the first thing verified entities might be looking to change.

As a verified entity for the topic, you can suggest a featured image, which if approved, will be prioritised over other images in the Google knowledge panel.

There are two ways in which you can suggest changes to your featured image.

1. Using the Google Authoring Tool

You can access the Google authoring tool at posts.google.com/author. You will see an option to update your featured image section. There are a few guidelines Google recommends while uploading your photo.

2. Using Google Knowledge panel

You can locate your Google Knowledge panel by searching for your verified entity. Click suggest a change below the knowledge panel and provide a direct URL of your image. There are also a few official guidelines for the image that you submit this way.

Have you managed to verify any brands or yourself in Google Knowledge Panel? Let me know in the comments below.

Pradeep Singh is a blogger and an aspiring entrepreneur hustling with his startup life based in London. Join him on Twitter or connect with him on Facebook.

Начиная

В этом документе подробно описаны базовые знания, необходимые для использования Google Site Verification API.

Введение

Google Site Verification API предназначен для разработчиков, которые хотят создавать приложения или службы, автоматизирующие процесс подтверждения права собственности на сайт или домен. Это важно, поскольку некоторые службы Google могут использоваться только владельцами веб-сайтов или доменов. Вы можете использовать Google Site Verification API, чтобы подтвердить, что прошедший проверку подлинности пользователь является владельцем домена или сайта, возможно, в качестве первого шага в программной подготовке других служб Google.

В этом документе предполагается, что вы знакомы с концепциями веб-программирования, форматами веб-данных и имеете возможность программно изменять файлы или записи DNS вашего веб-сайта или домена.

Обзор

Вы можете использовать Google Site Verification API для изменения данных проверки сайта Google пользователя. Пользователи могут получить доступ к определенным службам Google только в том случае, если их проверочные данные показывают, что они являются владельцами определенного домена веб-сайта. Вы можете использовать API для создания токенов подтверждения для аутентифицированных пользователей, которые ваш код может размещать различными способами на ваших веб-сайтах или в записях домена от их имени. Как только токен будет на месте, вы сделаете вызов API, чтобы попросить Google проверить токен. Если Google находит токен, он регистрирует аутентифицированного пользователя как владельца веб-сайта или домена. Вы также можете использовать API для изменения списка владельцев от имени пользователя или для полного удаления права собственности на сайт.

Все вызовы API должны быть авторизованы пользователем, прошедшим проверку подлинности, и все вызовы API выполняются в контексте учетной записи пользователя, прошедшего проверку подлинности.

В качестве конкретного примера того, когда вы можете использовать этот API, предположим, что вы предоставляете услугу веб-хостинга. Ваши пользователи хотят иметь возможность использовать Google Search Console для получения информации о своем сайте. Чтобы они могли это сделать, Google должен знать, что он действительно принадлежит им. Таким образом, вы предоставляете своим пользователям интерфейс, который просит их подтвердить свое право собственности на сайт. Они предоставляют вашему приложению доступ к своим проверочным данным, и теперь оно может выполнять код, который запрашивает токен от их имени, помещает его в файл в структуре своего сайта и просит Google проверить его. Когда Google находит токен, он передает право собственности на сайт пользователю, обновляя его проверочные данные. Теперь они могут использовать Search Console для получения нужной им информации.

Прежде чем ты начнешь

Получите учетную запись Google

Ознакомьтесь с проверкой сайта

Узнайте, как авторизовать запросы

Каждый запрос, отправляемый вашим приложением в Google Site Verification API, должен включать токен авторизации. Токен также идентифицирует ваше приложение для Google.

О протоколах авторизации

Авторизация запросов с помощью OAuth 2.0

Все запросы к Google Site Verification API должны быть авторизованы пользователем, прошедшим проверку подлинности.

Детали процесса авторизации или «потока» для OAuth 2.0 несколько различаются в зависимости от того, какое приложение вы пишете. Следующий общий процесс применяется ко всем типам приложений:

Вот информация о области действия OAuth 2.0 для Google Site Verification API:

Чтобы запросить доступ с помощью OAuth 2.0, вашему приложению требуется информация о области, а также информация, которую Google предоставляет при регистрации вашего приложения (например, идентификатор клиента и секрет клиента).

Справочная информация об API проверки сайта Google

Концепции

Вы можете использовать Google Site Verification API, чтобы установить право собственности пользователя на следующие типы веб-ресурсов:

Поскольку владение доменом применимо шире, чем владение сайтом, мы рекомендуем по возможности подтверждать домены.

Процесс установления права собственности начинается с того, что ваше приложение запрашивает «токен подтверждения» от имени пользователя. Токен подтверждения — это специальная строка, которую ваш код должен затем разместить на их веб-сайте или в домене. После того, как токен будет установлен, ваше приложение может отправить запрос к Google Site Verification API, который проверит токен и зарегистрирует право собственности, когда он будет найден.

Ограничения

Из соображений безопасности и технических соображений Google Site Verification API накладывает некоторые ограничения на его использование:

Методы проверки и токены

В API предусмотрены вызовы для отдельных этапов проверки:

Существует несколько способов проверки веб-сайта или домена, которые может использовать ваше приложение; тот, который вы выберете, зависит от того, что лучше всего подходит для ваших требований. Где разместить токен, а также тип самого токена зависит от того, какой метод проверки вы выберете.

Метод проверки домена

Для доменов доступны два метода проверки:

Ваше приложение создает новую запись CNAME для домена владельца, возможно, через регистратора домена, используя токен для данных записи. Токен состоит из двух частей, разделенных пробелом: первая часть — это имя новой записи CNAME, вторая — значение новой записи CNAME.

Ваше приложение создает новую запись TXT для домена владельца, возможно, через регистратора домена, используя токен для данных записи.

Методы проверки сайта

Для сайтов доступны три метода проверки:

Файл Ваше приложение размещает токен в виде файла на веб-сайте владельца. Вы должны создать файл с именем, соответствующим строке токена, со следующим содержимым:

Ваше приложение вставляет токен в виде HTML- в элемент файла по умолчанию (index.html, default.html и т. д.) на верхнем уровне сайта владельца. HTML-файл с токеном проверки Meta может выглядеть следующим образом:

Если вы сначала попробуете проверить несколько сайтов вручную с помощью пользовательского интерфейса Site Verification, это может быть полезно для понимания основных концепций и рабочего процесса.

Модель данных

Веб-ресурс

Вот пример веб-ресурса:

Поле id является уникальным идентификатором данного веб-ресурса. Вы используете его для ссылки на этот конкретный веб-ресурс для поиска и модификации. Сохраните поле id из выходных данных операции списка для последующего использования в качестве идентификатора.

Массив owners — это полный список владельцев веб-ресурса, представленный их адресами электронной почты. Добавляя или удаляя адреса электронной почты из списка владельцев, пользователь, прошедший проверку подлинности, может предоставить другим пользователям совместное владение или отозвать право собственности. Дополнительные владельцы, разместившие собственные токены на сайте или в домене, также отображаются в списке владельцев вместе с любым из их совладельцев.

Пользователи, которым было предоставлено совместное владение, также могут предоставить совместное владение, если на сайте есть хотя бы один подтвержденный владелец с токеном.

Коллекция веб-ресурсов

Коллекция веб-ресурсов — это полный список всех веб-ресурсов, принадлежащих аутентифицированному пользователю. Вы можете подтвердить право собственности на сайты или домены, просто попытавшись добавить новые веб-ресурсы в коллекцию веб-ресурсов пользователя, прошедшего проверку подлинности. В их коллекцию успешно добавляются только проверенные сайты или домены.

Как указывалось ранее в разделе « Ограничения », веб-ресурсы, принадлежащие пользователям, отличным от пользователя, прошедшего проверку подлинности, недоступны через API проверки сайта.

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under the Apache 2.0 License. For details, see the Google Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Google Site Verification: 9 Ways to Verify Your Site With Search Console

Do you want to add your site to Google Search Console? Before Google lets you add your site, view its analytics, or submit its sitemap, it asks you to verify your site ownership.

Essentially, Google site verification is about proving that you own the site. Hence, you need to complete the Google Search Console verification process before managing your sites through Google tools.

Thankfully, this process is pretty simple, and there’s a variety of ways to verify your website with Google Search Console. This post will cover nine different Google site verification methods, including manual ones and WordPress plugins.

Let’s get started!

5 Manual Methods for Google Site Verification

These manual Google site verification methods work for all websites, including WordPress sites.

To get started, access your Google Search Console dashboard. From here, you can open your property list to the left and click Add property to verify a new website:

Adding a property to Google Search Console.

Search Console will ask you to select a property type. You can enter a domain or a URL prefix. If you enter a domain name, you’ll be able to verify your website via DNS. The URL prefix method will let you choose between four verification methods:

Kinsta spoiled me so bad that I demand that level of service from every provider now. We also try to be at that level with our SaaS tool support.

Suganthan Mohanadasan from @Suganthanmn

Selecting a property type in Search Console.

Either approach works just fine when it comes to site verification. However, we recommend the URL prefix method because it gives you more options.

The following section will explore the four verification methods you can use to select the URL prefix property type. Then we’ll show you how to verify your website via DNS at the end (the Domain option). Go ahead and enter your site’s URL under the URL prefix and click on CONTINUE.

1. HTML Verification File

With this method, you need to upload an HTML file to the root directory of your website. It’s simple, but the downside is that you will need access to your server to upload the file, either via FTP/SFTP clients or something like cPanel File Manager.

Step 1: Download the Verification File

After you add your site to Google Search Console, you should see an option to download an HTML verification file in the Recommended verification method tab:

Download a verification file from Google Search Console.

Click on the button next to Download the file. Save this file somewhere you’ll remember — you’ll need it in a minute.

Step 2: Upload the File via SFTP

Next, you’ll need to connect to your website via FTP/SFTP. Here are instructions for how to use SFTP at Kinsta.

Once you’ve successfully connected, upload the file that you downloaded from Google to the root folder of your site (this is the folder that contains the wp-content folder, wp-config.php, etc.) At Kinsta, this folder is named public.

After uploading the file, it should look something like this:

Upload verification file via FTP/SFTP.

Once the file is in your site’s root folder, return to Google Search Console. It’s time to verify your property.

Step 3: Click the Verify Button in Google Search Console

Once you’ve uploaded the file to your site, go back to Google Search Console and click on the VERIFY button to complete the process. Google Search Console will locate the file on your server and verify that you own the website.

You can use that same method to verify the Kinsta Content Delivery Network (CDN) with Google Search Console. Verifying your CDN on Google Search Console will enable the search engine to crawl and index your images.

2. HTML Tag

With the HTML tag method, you need to add a simple meta tag to your site’s section. If you’re using WordPress, you can do this by:

We’ll show you how to do this using the plugin method, but it’s also OK to add it directly to your theme as long as you’re using a child theme (if you don’t use a child theme, you’ll lose your Google site verification every time you update your theme).

Step 1: Copy the Meta Tag

To find the meta tag, you can go to the Other verification methods section in the Google Search Console interface:

The HTML meta tag.

Use the COPY button to copy the meta tag in the box. Now, let’s go ahead and add it to your WordPress website.

Step 2: Add the Meta Tag Using Insert Headers And Footers

Next, you can install the free Insert Headers and Footers plugin on your site. Navigate to Settings > Insert Headers and Footers and paste the meta tag in the Scripts in Header box:

Add HTML meta tag to Insert Headers and Footers plugin.

Click on Save to save the changes to your website’s header, and that’s it. You can also add the meta tag manually, but we recommend the plugin approach if you’re not comfortable editing WordPress core files.

To finish the process, go back to the Google Search Console interface and click on the VERIFY button. If you added the code to your website, Google Search Console would be able to identify it.

3. Google Analytics

If you already have the Google Analytics asynchronous tracking code installed on your site, you can easily verify your site using Google Analytics. This process boils down to two simple steps:

Google Analytics account verification screen.

If you added Google Analytics to WordPress using a plugin, the tracking code should be on your homepage. That means that you can go ahead and use this method.

4. Google Tag Manager

Just like Google Analytics, if you’re already using Google Tag Manager, you can verify your site with just a single click. You’ll need to have the Google Tag Manager container snippet active on your site.

Again, there’s no deep or involved process necessary. Here’s all you need to do:

The screen to verify your Google Tag Manager account.

If you’re using Google Tag Manager, this method will enable you to verify your website on Search Console almost immediately.

5. DNS Verification

If you want to verify your website using the Domain method, you’ll need to add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS configuration. Here’s what that verification window looks like:

Google DNS Verification Modal

If you’re using Kinsta DNS, you can add this TXT record directly from your MyKinsta dashboard.

First, click on the Kinsta DNS option. Then, select Manage for the site that you want to verify with Google Search Console:

The Kinsta DNS option from the MyKinsta dashboard.

Next, you can click on Add DNS Record and select the TXT option under Type. Add your Google Search Console TXT record under Content:

Add TXT record at Kinsta.

Keep in mind that this process will vary depending on which domain provider you’re using. If you want to transfer your domain name to Kinsta to manage it using our DNS, you can follow these instructions.

4 WordPress Plugins to Help With Google Site Verification

If you’re using a WordPress SEO plugin, there’s a good chance that your plugin of choice offers an easy tool to help with Google site verification. We’ll show you how to do it with the three popular WordPress SEO tools and one plugin directly from Google.

6. Yoast SEO

To complete the Google Search Console verification process with Yoast SEO, you can start by going to SEO > General in your WordPress dashboard and selecting the Webmaster Tools tab.

Next, find the Google verification code field and add the code that you can get from Google Search Console:

Google site verification in Yoast SEO.

To find your Google Search Console verification code, you can follow these three steps:

Where to find Google verification code.

Now you can add the code to your Yoast SEO settings page and save the changes to it. Return to the HTML tag tab in Google Search Console and click on the VERIFY button.

7. SEOPress

To verify your site in Google Search Console with the SEOPpress plugin, go to the SEOPress > Advanced section in your WordPress dashboard. Here, scroll down to find the Google search verification entry.

SEOPress simplifies the Google site verification process.

We’ve discussed how to get this meta tag for your site (or “property” as Google calls it) in the HTML Tag section above.

Now, the plugin will automatically add this HTML tag to all your site’s pages.

Finally, click on the VERIFY button under the HTML tag section in Google Search Console.

8. Rank Math SEO

If you’re using the Rank Math SEO plugin, you can verify your website in Google Search Console by going to Rank Math > General Settings > Webmaster Tools in your dashboard. Here, you’ll see a field that reads Google Search Console, which is where your Search Console verification code goes:

Adding the Search Console verification code to Rank Math.

To find that verification code, you can follow the exact instructions as with other WordPress SEO plugins. Navigate to the Other verification methods section in the Google Search Console interface, and then select the HTML tag option. After you copy the entire tag, Rank Math will automatically identify the verification code.

Next, return to Google Search Console and click the VERIFY button under the HTML tag. Search Console should recognize your website now.

9. Site Kit by Google

The Site Kit by Google plugin enables you to connect your WordPress website with Google services with only a few clicks. It’s an official plugin, and you can use it for free.

Once you install and activate the plugin, navigate to Site Kit > Dashboard in your dashboard and select the SIGN IN WITH GOOGLE option:

Signing in with Google through the Site Kit plugin.

Google will prompt you to verify website ownership and to connect it with Search Console. To proceed, click on Sign in with Google once more:

The Site Kit setup wizard.

If you have multiple Google accounts, you’ll be able to choose which one you want to use for the Search Console account connected with your website. Google will ask you to confirm that you’re comfortable with Site Kit having access to the following types of data:

An overview of Site Kit’s permissions.

After you click on Allow, Site Kit will ask you to confirm site ownership for Google Search Console. Site Kit does this by adding a bit of HTML code to your website. All that you have to do is select Proceed:

Enable Site Kit to verify that you own your website.

Moving on, Site Kit will ask you for permission to and your Google account data and display it on your dashboard. Click the Allow button once more. Then you’ll see a success message telling you that your website is verified on Google Search Console:

A Site Kit setup success message.

When you return to your Site Kit dashboard in WordPress, you’ll see that it’s connected to Google Search Console. A new Site Kit > Search Console tab will appear in your dashboard, giving you access to data from within your website.

Which Method Should You Use?

Adding a website to Google Search Console takes only seconds. However, it would help if you verified that you own the site, which can vary in complexity depending on your chosen verification method.

If you’re using Google Analytics or Tag Manager, you already have some Google code on your site. Google Search Console should identify that code and verify your website without you needing to add anything else to it. Alternatively, you can add an HTML file, include a tag, or use DNS verification (the best approach if you don’t want to add more code to your site).

Finally, if you’re using a WordPress SEO plugin, the most popular options include Google Search Console verification features. Those will help you verify your website. All you have to do is enter a verification code.

Summary

Congratulations! You now know all you need to get started with your Google site verification.

Just remember that Google will periodically check on your site’s verification. No matter which method you choose, it’s essential to leave that method in place — you cannot remove it after confirmation.

Do you have any other questions about the Google Search Console verification process? Leave a comment, and we’ll try to help!

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The ultimate list of methods to verify Google My Business

What letter would you be more happy to get other than the acceptance letter from Hogwarts? A letter from Google! Especially if you’re waiting for your Google My Business verification code to be inside the envelope.

At first glance, the process seems pretty straightforward. You get clear instructions from Google and verify your listing. Simple as that. But upon taking a closer look, you’ll see that there’s much more to it. Many people fail or even forget to verify their listing, lose postcards or don’t receive them at all, miss obvious points, and, as a result, struggle to find any solution.

In this article, we analyze every possible way of verifying your listing, look at all the hidden pitfalls you may face in the process and show you where to seek help in case you experience any difficulties.

Why verifying your GMB listing is so important

The first and most important reason for GMB verification is dead simple – you won’t be able to manage your business information in Search, Maps, and other Google properties unless you verify it. Google has to confirm the physical location of your business and check whether you’re authorized to own a listing. Only after that will you be able to make changes to your business info across Google, view listing stats called Insights, upload new photos, publish posts, respond to customer reviews, and so on.

Moreover, GMB signals (proximity, categories, keyword in business title, etc.) make up 25% of all ranking factors in the Local Pack. This means that if you have a GMB listing, your chances of appearing in the Local Pack are much higher than if you just focus on ranking factors such as links, reviews, citations, etc. For this reason, it’s very important to have control over the information that’s included under your GMB profile.

The second reason why having a GMB listing is crucial is that, according to Google, verified businesses are twice as likely to be considered reputable by users. GMB profiles look more consistent and trustworthy when they’re optimized and edited by the actual owner.

The third reason is that verifying your business can protect it from anyone who might act as a representative of your business and claim the listing as their own. This is an example of pure and simple fraud so make sure you’re aware of such cases.

How to check if your listing is verified

If you want to check the business that is associated with your own Google account, you can use a special tool from Google.

All you have to do here is sign in with your Google account, choose the business you want to check, and then you will see its verification status.

Another way of checking business verification is to do it manually right from the search results.

This method will be of great help if your business listing was created by someone else and you want to claim it as your own.

What you should do is Google the business name and take a look at the Knowledge Graph.

If you don’t see the “Own this business?” option right next to the “Suggest an edit” button, the GMB listing at hand is verified.

In turn, if you can see that your business listing isn’t verified, it’s high time to do it. But first you have to claim it. Here is how you can do it right from the search results, manually.

Claiming an existing GMB listing

1. Click the “Own this business?” button.

2. Then click the “Manage now” button, as shown below.

3. At this stage, you need to choose how exactly you want to verify your business. So, as you are reading this blog post, choose one of the 9 listed ways to verify your business and focus on the one that’s best for your type of your business and its location.

Who can claim or verify GMB listings

Only the business owner has the right to claim or verify a GMB listing. If you don’t own the business that you want to verify, you first need to ask the business owner to complete the sign-up process, and only then can you continue verifying the listing.

Note! You can request ownership of a business listing even if it’s already verified by another person. Here is a detailed guide from Google on how to do it.

9 ways to verify a Google My Business listing

The various business verification methods on Google largely depend on the business type and its geographical region. Every business will get its own list of options.

Let’s analyze all the possible verification options and see how they differ from one another.

Right after registering or claiming a business, you’ll be offered to choose the verification method.

Although you can only see 3 verification options in the screenshot above, you will see more once you create your business listing.

1. Standard mail

This is the most frequently used way to verify a business. The bottom line is that it lets Google know exactly where the business is located and that it does in fact exist.

Usually, the delivery process takes up to 2 weeks depending on the region.

By the way, don’t change any business information (business name, address, category, etc.) until your business is verified as the verification process will take much longer. It’s also important to note that Google won’t send any verification letters to PO boxes.

After you fill in your business address and name, you will see a pop-up saying that your postcard is on its way:

Once you have the postcard with the 5-digit verification code, log into Google My Business, select the business you want to verify and click “Verify now”.

Then enter the code you got from Google into the appropriate field.

GMB community members mentioned the fact that their first attempt to get a verification code often failed, and they were only able to succeed after the second and even third attempt. If your postcard is missing or got lost, you can request a new code by signing into Google My Business, going to the verification code page and clicking the blue “Mail again” link.

Also, such letters can often be mistaken for junk and get thrown away. So make sure to let everyone at your company (or even building) know that you’re waiting for the verification letter from Google.

2. Phone

Some businesses may want to verify their GMB listing by phone, but this option isn’t available to everyone from the get-go. So, consider yourself lucky if you can verify your business over the phone as this process only takes a few minutes.

You can choose to get an automated call or have a text message sent to your phone. The system will give you a 5-digit code that you’ll have to enter into the code field.

Unfortunately, the GMB community forum has a lot of real life stories about fraudulent calls made by people who claim to work at Google. Here is a guide from Google on how to identify suspicious calls.

Keep in mind that during the verification call, Google will never:

During the verification call from actual Google representative, the only thing you need to do is hear your verification code and write it down for further use.

3. Email

If your business is eligible, you’ll see the “Verify by email” option when you start the verification process.

Before clicking “Verify now”, make sure that the email displayed on the verification screen is correct and that you have access to it.

After that, open your inbox and find the email from Google My Business. You will find a verification code in it together with a link to the GMB page where you can activate it.

4. Instant verification

A great option that business owners often fail to take advantage of is instant verification. To be honest, we made the same mistake and were waiting for a postcard when we actually had the option to verify our listing in a flash.

As Google states, if your site is already verified in Google Search Console, then you’re qualified for instant verification. But in practice, this option isn’t available to every business verified by GSC.

Actually, it’s an issue of how much trust Google can have in a business. If you own a new business or one that barely has any online presence, it’s unlikely that you can get your business verified instantly. In such cases, sending the postcard is the best way for Google to check your business.

In order to use instant verification, make sure you sign into GMB with the same account you use for Google Search Console.

5. Bulk verification

This option is accessible for businesses that simultaneously need to verify more than 10 locations of one business. For instance, if you own a pizza chain with 25 locations, you might well be eligible for this.

After signing into Google My Business, click “Get verified” next to one of your locations. And then choose “Chain”. Fill in all the required information and submit the verification form.

Note! It may take up to a week for Google to review and check your form.

6. Video chat

This method is not widely used and has only been around since November 2018. But if your business qualifies for video verification, you can use it without a problem.

Video verification is done via video chat with a Google specialist. For this, you should install the Google Hangouts app for iOS or Android.

If you have a storefront business, a Google representative may want to check your workplace, logo, equipment, public space, and even meet a couple of your employees or clients.

If you own a service area business, you may need to show your branded work vehicle, license plate along with the tools you use to provide services.

7. Trusted Verifiers (now My Business Providers)

A Trusted Verifier is a certified partner that’s eligible to verify Google My Business listings with the Trusted Verifier mobile app. This is an invitation-only program that cannot be applied for without a personal invitation from Google. This program was active until the end of 2019.

Starting from 2020, it was replaced by My Business Provider that allows companies and organizations who manage large amounts of business data to verify other businesses they are partnered up with. Such Business Providers will be able to generate verification codes and distribute them among their supported businesses for further verification.

As we know, Trusted Verifiers will automatically become My Business Providers. And all new candidates should reach out to their Google account manager to get authorization to verify business listings. This program is available only to local businesses with a physical storefront that have already signed up for Google My Business.

8. Product Experts

Last year, Google introduced its Product Expert Program. The most passionate and dedicated webmasters became official Google Product Experts with different levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Alumni.

All Experts starting from the Gold level can act as Trusted Verifiers and have the ability to bypass traditional verification methods when adding new businesses to Google. This is a completely free service offered by Google via Trusted Verifiers but is not available for all businesses.

9. Local Guides

One final way of adding and verifying a GMB listing is to use the assistance of Local Guides.

Local Guides is a global community of explorers who write reviews, share photos, answer questions, add or edit places, and check facts on Google Maps.

But unfortunately, last year this method practically stopped working. After a big GMB spam attack, Google stopped allowing local experts to edit and verify listings. Most vendors/competitors have been on hold from creating verifications, especially for US listings.

Above, we’ve mentioned every possible way you can verify your GMB listing. But what to do if you can see your business listing in search, but it doesn’t have anything to do with you? In such case, you can claim and verify an already existing listing to manage the info about your business.

Need some help getting verified?

If you’ve tried all of the aforementioned methods and are still facing some difficulties, here are a few useful links:

GMB Help Community

For most GMB issues, you can get in touch here for answers from experts.

GMB Twitter Support

To contact GMB support on Twitter, send a Tweet or direct message to @GoogleMyBiz.

GMB Help Center

If you have any issues with verification, you can fill in this form to get further instructions from Google.

Verification policy

To find out more about the GMB verification policy, read these rules.

Summing up

Verifying your GMB listing may be a tough task but it’s definitely worth exploring every possible option. That way, you will have an efficient toolbox to analyze and control your business representation on Google search. And nothing could be more important than turning searchers into loyal customers.

What’s next after GMB listing verification? Optimize your website for local search – get your business featured in the Local Pack and try to stay there as long as possible.

Google Plus Verified Pages: Of What Benefit Is the Verification?

Recently the Virante Search Marketing Google+ Page was given “verified name” status by Google+. The only visible change this makes is that now a check mark appears next to our name on our profile, as well as any appearances of our name in Google+ search.

But there are some other benefits to having a verified profile name. Some are present, some future, and at least one purely speculative:

1. It is a trust mark for people who are considering whether to circle your page or not.

2. It qualifies you to get a Knowledge Graph type feature spot about your page in the right column of search.

3. It qualifies your page for a custom URL. At present, these are being rolled out slowly and only to very high activity pages, so keep building your following and engagement.

4. It may …and I stress MAY … have some SEO benefits. If Google now trusts that your Page is the official Page for your official web site, then some SEO “juice” may flow between the two. This is not something we know for sure, but I have seen at least a correlation between highly active client verified Pages and a rise in search rankings for their site’s content. (See “Google AuthorRank for Brands“)

How Do I Get a Verified Name for My Google Plus Page?

UPDATE 7 October 2013: Google no longer accepts applications to verify brand pages (step #4 below). It is unclear at this time if there is any automatic verification that can still take place, or if checkmark verification has been discontinued altogether. In any event, we still recommend steps 1-3 below as best practice for Google+ pages.

Verified names seem to be bestowed by Google+ at their whim and discretion, but there are things you can do to help you qualify: